Introduction
When thinking of how to change domain name, the first thing business leaders should do is determine the why.
In fact, this is a strategic choice that can and will impact the digital presence of the company: it can unlock new growth opportunities, better brand alignment, and stronger market positioning, as well as posing technical challenges, affect the traffic, and curb the overall digital performance.
For this, there are usually specific situations where changing the domain name makes sense, like during a rebranding or when targeting.
In this actionable guide, we walk through every step of the process, from planning and selection to execution and post-launch management.
When should you change domain name?
Changing your domain name is a strategic move that should be motivated by clear business objectives. While it might seem daunting, there are several moments of the business life cycle that are suitable for a domain change.
During a rebranding or brand change
If your company name, services, or positioning have changed significantly, your current domain might no longer reflect who you are.
A fresh domain name aligned with your brand can improve recognition and trust, both with customers and search engines.
A great example of this is when Snapchat rebranded to Snap Inc. in September 2016 to reflect its evolution into a broader tech company focused on camera products.
As part of the shift, they secured the clean, brandable domain snap.com, aligning their digital identity with their new business direction.
When targeting new geographies or markets
Expanding from a local to a global market? Or shifting from B2C to B2B?
Choosing a domain that resonates better with your new audience or includes relevant geo or industry keywords can make the difference and communicate the direction the business is taking.
Your current domain is hard to remember or spell
If your domain is confusing, includes hyphens, or is difficult to pronounce, it may be hurting your traffic and brand recall. Simplicity and clarity are key, especially in competitive spaces like hosting, IT services, or digital design.
Sometimes, the perfect domain becomes available, shorter, cleaner, or with a more authoritative extension like .com, .cloud or .agency. If it aligns with your business, upgrading can be a smart investment.
After a merging or a radical business change
If your business has gone through a merger, been acquired, or pivoted significantly, like shifting from B2C to B2B, changing your product line, or expanding into new verticals, a domain change is often necessary to reflect your new identity.
A fresh domain communicates your updated mission and value proposition to customers, partners, and search engines alike. In fact, delaying this change can create brand confusion and dilute your new positioning.
Tip: If multiple brands or legacy domains are involved, consider consolidating them under one central domain and using redirects to maintain SEO and traffic continuity.
SEO recovery or cleanup
If your current domain has a history of spammy backlinks, penalties, or poor performance in search, a clean slate might help, but only when handled with the right SEO strategy (more on this later).
When closing a funding round
Securing a clean, professional domain name becomes even more important when you’re scaling fast, especially after raising capital. Investors expect your brand to signal credibility, clarity, and long-term vision. That’s why many startups reconsider their domain during or after a funding round.
Take Carta as an example. Originally operating under the domain eSharesInc.com, the company grew rapidly and raised $67 million by 2017. Despite attempts, they couldn’t secure the shorter eshares.com, which posed branding and security challenges. Instead of compromising, they made a bold decision to rebrand entirely, becoming Carta—with a fresh domain to match their ambitions.
How to choose a domain name: 6 impactful factors
What are the most impactful factors to choose a domain name? Here’s how to get it right from the start.
1. Keep it short, clear, and easy to remember
Your domain name should pass the “radio test”: if someone hears it once, they should be able to spell it and type it without confusion. Avoid unnecessary hyphens, numbers, or complicated phrases. The cleaner it is, the more trustworthy it looks.
Tip: One-word or two-word domains tend to perform better in terms of branding and memorability.
2. Make it brandable
Whether you’re a growing IT agency or a hosting provider, your domain is your digital storefront. Choose something that supports your brand identity—unique, relevant, and not too generic. A strong domain can make your business easier to market and more resilient to competition.
3. Choose the right extension
Don’t just default to .com.
Depending on your business type and market, alternative TLDs (Top-Level Domains) like .ai, .tech and .io, as well as country-code domains like .de, .nl, and .es can make your brand more specific and memorable.
Good to know: we have created detailed guides for many of these extensions. Explore them here:
At Openprovider, we offer access to over 1,900 TLDs with flexible pricing for Members, so you can choose what best fits your brand, your industry, and your audience.
4. Check availability (and act fast)
A great domain won’t stay available for long.
Once you’ve shortlisted options, check availability across your preferred TLDs and consider securing more than one version (for example, the .com and your local ccTLD) to protect your brand.
Tip: With Openprovider’s search and bulk registration tools, or via our single domain registration panel, you can check availability and secure domains across hundreds of extensions in seconds.
5. Audit the domain’s history
Before committing, check the domain’s past.
A previously used domain might have existing backlinks, or SEO penalties that can impact your performance. Tools like Wayback Machine, WHOIS lookup, and domain history checkers can help.
Tip: Check both the history and the present. Avoid domains with a shady backlink profile or high spam scores.
6. Futureproof your choice
Think ahead. Will the domain still make sense as your business grows or expands services?
Choose a name that’s flexible enough to grow with you, especially important for resellers managing multiple verticals or digital agencies planning to scale.
Steps to change your domain name
Changing your domain name is about correct and affordable registration, preserving SEO performances, maintaining uptime, and ensuring smooth continuity for your customers.
If you’re an Openprovider customer, you already have access to powerful tools to make this process efficient and risk-free. Here’s how to do it right.
Step 1: secure your new domain
Start by checking availability and registering your new domain name. Use the Openprovider Reseller Control Panel (RCP) or our API for fast, automated search and registration across 1,900+ TLDs.
Pro tip: If you’re a Member, you get domains at cost price – Make sure your Membership is active to unlock maximum savings.
Step 2: set up DNS records
Before you redirect or migrate anything, mirror the DNS configuration from your old domain to the new one. This ensures services like email, subdomains, or third-party integrations keep running without interruption.
Use the RCP to replicate DNS settings or, if you’re managing domains at scale, automate DNS replication via the Openprovider API.
Step 3: prepare your website and hosting
Update your website settings (CMS, hosting control panel, or custom backend) to recognize and serve the new domain. In WordPress, for example, this means updating the Site URL and Home URL.
For web agencies or IT service providers managing multiple domains, make sure to check server-side settings, SSL certificates, and CMS configurations in advance.
Step 4: implement 301 redirects
To retain SEO value, set up 301 permanent redirects from your old domain to the new one. This tells search engines the move is intentional and preserves your backlink equity and search rankings.
Use your server configuration, or a plugin like Yoast if you’re using a CMS like WordPress.
Don’t skip this step: without proper redirects, your traffic and SEO performance can drop significantly.
Step 5: update internal links and assets
Go through your site and replace all instances of the old domain in:
- Internal links
- Image URLs
- Scripts and embedded resources
- Sitemaps and robots.txt
If you’re running a large-scale website or manage client sites, automated search-and-replace scripts can streamline this process.
Step 6: update external services
Notify and update all external platforms connected to your domain:
- Google Search Console (verify new domain and submit new sitemap)
- Google Analytics (update property settings)
- Paid media campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn)
- Social media accounts
- Business directories and backlinks
Pro tip: Use domain change tools in Google Search Console to communicate the move to search engines directly.
Step 7: activate SSL on your new domain
Security is non-negotiable. Once your new domain is active, issue a new SSL certificate via Openprovider. You can choose from Sectigo certificates available at exclusive Member pricing.
Use the RCP or API to provision, configure, and install your new SSL certificate. Remember to remove the old SSL once the migration is fully complete.
Step 8: test everything
Before fully switching over, test your:
- DNS propagation
- URL redirects
- CMS/domain recognition
- Forms, scripts, APIs, and external integrations
Use browser tests, SEO tools, and network diagnostics to ensure a flawless experience for your users.
Step 9: monitor and maintain
For the first few weeks post-switch, monitor analytics and Search Console closely. Watch for crawl errors, drops in traffic, or broken redirects and fix them promptly.
Openprovider’s monitoring and support resources are always available if you need technical assistance, especially if you’re running domain changes at scale.
Risks and factors to monitor when changing your domain name
Switching your domain name opens up new opportunities, but it also introduces a few critical risks. These can affect your traffic, rankings, brand reputation, or even business continuity if not managed correctly. Understanding these risks is key to planning a smooth and successful transition.
Here are the most common risks to be aware of:
Temporary SEO impact
Even with proper redirects and Search Console updates, a domain name change can temporarily lower your search visibility. Google needs time to reindex the new domain, reprocess backlinks, and re-establish authority.
Users may continue visiting your old domain out of habit. If your redirects are broken or inconsistent, they may encounter dead pages, or worse, think your site no longer exists.
Mitigation tip: Submit a change of address request in Google Search Console and use 301 redirects site-wide to preserve link equity. Then, create a clear redirect strategy, announce the domain change to your audience, and update external listings immediately.
Email deliverability issues
If you use domain-based email, switching domains without updating DNS records, MX settings, or SPF/DKIM configurations can result in undelivered messages or spam flagging.
For this, mirror your email configuration before switching live and test all email flows during the transition window.
Service downtime or broken integrations
Changing a domain without updating connected platforms like cloud storage, API endpoints, or third-party scripts can cause cascading errors.
This is particularly important for resellers and agencies managing multiple domains at once.
Lost data or broken site
This brings us to one of the most critical yet overlooked risks: moving to a new domain without a full site backup.
Why backing up your website is critical before changing your domain name
Changing your domain name usually involves reconfiguring hosting, updating content management systems, and modifying your database.
If something goes wrong during a migration, DNS switch, or CMS update, you risk losing data, settings, or entire site structures.
Here’s what you should always back up before making any domain changes:
- Full site files: HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, image assets, and any other custom files
- Databases: especially if you’re using WordPress, Joomla, or other CMS platforms
- Configuration files: .htaccess, wp-config.php, DNS zone files, etc.
- Emails: back up your inboxes if you’re switching mail servers or domains
- SSL certificates: export your active SSL before removal or reissue
With Openprovider, you control both your domains and your DNS in one place, making it easier to export, manage, and replicate your configurations if needed.
How to change domain name – Conclusions
Changing your domain name can be a powerful move to sharpen your brand, expand your market reach, or unlock better visibility. But success lies in preparation. From choosing the right domain to executing the switch with zero disruption, every step counts.
Ready to future-proof your domain strategy? Explore Openprovider Memberships or talk to our team about assisted domain transfers and bulk migration support.
